Five Simple Words
by Her Name Is Erika
Summary: Oneshot The note consisted of just five simple words. Five simple words that made her feelings known. Five words she should have said before that car came speeding by and shattered it all… Angsty MxL


**A/N: New one-shot. It's sad. I felt like writing it, so deal. It's another ML…with other pairings on the side (DL, CZ, QM). **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Zoey 101, or the song performed by Zoey which is 'I'll Stand by You' by Carrie Underwood, or 'Que Hisciste' by Jennifer Lopez. I don't own 'All Good Things (Come To An End)' by Nelly Furtado either. And 'It Ends Tonight' by All-American Rejects. **

**Set somewhere after the 'Quarantine' episode. Dana has come back in that time, so they're still sophomores. Sorry if the flashbacks aren't accurate enough. I did it all from memory and I'm too tired to watch the episodes over.**

* * *

**Five Simple Words**

**By: FallingxWithxGrace**

She was sure this was her fault.

Actually, she was dead serious. It _was_ her fault.

One week later, and those three words rang in her head ever so strongly. Lola Martinez straightened her simple black skirt with a black off-the-shoulder top, and sat stared into her mirror grief-stricken. Tears rolled down her cheeks as little sobs escaped her.

Lola never got to tell him… She never got to tell him how she felt, how much she. Lola could remember that day a week ago so vividly, the headlights coming straight at her, a force pushing her out of way, followed by a strangled scream and the gut-wrenching sound of metal cracking bone…

_They had been on their movie date, as Lola laughed sipping some Blix. Michael was with her as they strolled around campus. _

"_Oh, come on. Admit it. Even though, you didn't understand one word, you liked Jennifer Lopez's new song," Lola laughed, and started to sing to some of it. Michael could only listen. "Qué Hiciste? Hoy destruiste con tu orgullo la esperanza, Hoy empañaste con tu furia mi mirada_, _Borraste toda nuestra historia con tu rabia, Y confundiste tanto amor que te entregaba,_ _Como permiso para así romperme el alma… Qué Hiciste? Nos obligaste a destruir las madrugadas, Y nuestras noches las ahogaron tus palabras,_ _Mis ilusiones acabaron con tus falsas, Se te olvido que era el amor lo que importaba, Y con tus manos derrumbaste nuestra casa…"_

"_Wow, Lola. I didn't understand a word, but that was…beautiful…"_

_She felt a blush come to her cheeks, "Thanks. Oh, all it means is that a girl and her man had a love she thought was strong, and the guy screwed her over by wrecking it."_

"_Oh," he replied, thoughtfully. "…I hope Dana is having as fun, making Logan listen to this song."_

_Lola and Dana didn't know each other very long, which was surprised seeing as they both hailed from the New York area, but the two girls became quick friends, and acted as if they had known each other forever. _

"_Well, Logan is probably trying to claw his eyes out inwardly, but as Dana's boyfriend he kind of has to sit there and take it…"_

"_True…"_

_It was just silent as they walked around from the on-campus, when Lola spoke. _

"_I wouldn't want that," she said, wistfully. "…you know, a relationship I managed to invest into only to find out it was all a lie…I'm an actress and sure, I lie to people for entertainment purposes, but still. Relationships based on false pretences still suck."_

_Michael sighed. It was about time she knew. _

"_Well, what if I told you that you'd never get that ever again?"_

_Lola raised an eyebrow, and stopped walking, "What do you mean?"_

_Michael could feel his nerves get the best the best of him, as he stared into Lola's curious chestnut-coloured eyes. __**She has pretty eyes…**_

"_I'm, uh, well saying… Lola, I like you a lot. You're sweet, funny, and beautiful. You're fun, and this whole date has been fun. I've liked you from your second day at PCA. I saw you and I was just so intrigued by you. Don't take this the wrong way, but the only reason I dated Nicole, Vanessa, and Lisa is because I was scared," Michael explained, as Lola's mouth formed an 'o' shape. "…I was scared that if you knew, you'd reject me. I love you… Pretty lame, huh?"_

"_No, not lame," she answered, grabbing his arm. Unbeknownst to the two teenagers, a sports car was heading up towards them. "Michael, I—"_

_Michael's head snapped up with instinct as two lights came speeding towards them. Lola noticed and her eyes widened like a deer caught in the headlights. Her breathing stopped as the lights came closer and closer…_

_It only took a split second as she was pushed out of the way. _

_The only sounds Lola registered were tires screeching, a scream and a loud, gut wrenching crunch…_

_She shook herself awake, and stood up. __**Oh my God. That car…wait, am I dead? But I'm PCA. Michael… and he…**_

"_Michael!" she screamed, remembering. She scrambled to her feet, not caring about her state. Her eyeliner was smudged, and her hair disoriented, but that didn't matter… Lola frantically searched for him. She broke out running, screaming out his name, as tears of fear spilled down her cheeks. "MICHAEL!"_

_What she saw next made her heart stop and instead she screamed bloody murder…_

Memories after that seemed sketchy. She'd remember bits and pieces of that horrible night.

Lola remembered how hard she had cried that after Logan told her those two words. Two dreadful words she'd hoped to never hear again. Logan was the least distraught of the group, but it was impossible.

_Lola looked at Logan, hopefully. Maybe Michael was okay. Maybe he'd recover and they would be able to be together. Maybe, just maybe…_

"_Logan?" _

_Logan stuffed his hands in his pockets, and stared at the ground, not able to look at Lola. He couldn't deal with crying girls. That was his weakness; his Achilles heel. _

"_Logan…" she pleaded with the boy in front of her. "Tell me…"_

_**Not Michael,**_ _he had run in his mind over and over._ _**Not Michael. Not Michael. Not Michael.**_

_Logan shook his head, sadly. _

"_I'm sorry, Lola…"_

"_What do you mean 'sorry'? Michael's going to be better! He said he loved me! We're supposed to be together!" Lola spoke with more force. Tears came faster and faster, and left two black trails on her face. _

"_He's dead…" _

_She suddenly felt outraged, and honestly Logan couldn't blame her. He had tried to compete with Michael for her affection, but gave up realizing that it wasn't fair to use Lola as a substitute for Dana. That made him realize where his heart really lay. Lola fought against Logan's grasp. _

"_Let go of me! He's…not… NO!"_

_Logan was being uncharacteristically nice. He couldn't believe it either. _

_She gave up, and collapsed sobbing in Logan's arms… _

Chase was in a state of denial, as Zoey (teary-eyed as she was) tried to console her boyfriend for the second time from something death related. Chase refused to believe that Michael was gone. Soon he'd look and see his best friend turn the corner, with the usual joking smile on his face, and the easy-going attitude. Dana and Quinn found comfort in each other, and in that hospital they called Nicole, while at Kansas, as she sat in her room, painting her toes a glitter pink.

"_No…" she gasped, as she dropped the little bottle of nail polish in shock…_

"Lola?" a familiar voice knocked on the door of Room 101, her brunette hair straight and her eyes tear-filled. Her black knee-length dress swished behind her and her black sling-back sandals clicked against the floor. Lola looked up.

"Nicole!" she sobbed, and hugged one of her best friends tightly. Nicole hugged her back, just as tight, as if their very existences depended on it. "He's gone…"

"I came as soon as I heard," Nicole answered, as she pulled away, and wiped at her eyes with a tissue. She sniffled, and linked arms with Lola, as her way of support. "…I'm here for you. I know you liked him."

Tears blurred her vision, as she remembered meeting his family, the day after his death. His family were really nice people. Trevor Barrett looked exactly like Michael, only older. Anita Barrett was his mother, and remained grief-stricken and distraught in her husband's arms. Michael was her only son, and no parent wanted to fly their child's body back home from the morgue to be buried.

Lola's heart broke as she saw his 10-year-old sister, Sheila. Michael adored her, and would speak the world of her. Now, she was sure it was her fault…

She still remembered Sheila's words about her big brother, her hero…

"_Don't blame yourself…" _

_Lola turned around to see an African-American girl giving a sad smile. Her raven hair was straight as Lola could see the tears form around Sheila Barrett's eyes. _

"_I'm Sheila by the way…"_

"_Oh," the aspiring actress answered quietly, and then stuck out her hand for the young girl to shake, and tried her best to smile genuinely. "Lola Martinez."_

"_Nice to meet you…"_

_And then an awkward silence crept in. It was so suffocating, and someone had to break it. It just so happened that Sheila broke it. _

"_Mikey was a good brother…a good person. It's not your fault…He told me all about you. He told me that…he would do everything he could to protect you," she explained, voice breaking._

"_I'm sorry," she whispered. "It's my fault. If only I—"_

"_I said, don't blame yourself! I lost my brother, isn't that enough? He saved you from that car! That should be enough for you, rather than you blaming yourself! I'm sick of it, okay!" Sheila stopped ranting, and sat back down staring at her feet. She wore Michael's PCA sweatshirt, and pulled the fabric close to her body. Sheila remembered yelling at Michael to put away all that cologne away… but now she wished she could just talk to him again. Hang out with him again. Fight with him again, like all siblings did. Sheila could smell the cologne on the purple-coloured article of clothing, and sighed tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, I yelled…"_

"_It's okay. I loved your brother," Lola admitted, as her voice got higher. "…very much."_

"_I know you did. I could see it on you…"_

"_Really?"_

"_Yeah," answered Sheila, with an absent shrug. _

_She had to think. Lola had to re-evaluate herself and she smiled, turning to Sheila. _

"_It was nice to meet you, but I'd better go…"_

"_Okay…bye Lola," Sheila said, looking at her, and then turned back to stare into space. Lola could see the glint in her eyes gone, as dull brown eyes stared into space again. _

_Tears fell from Lola's eyes as she dragged herself to Fulton Hall… _

"Come on, Lola…let's go," Nicole urged gently. Lola sniffled, grabbing her purse, and walked out the room, feeling crappier than ever… "I don't know what to say."

"Silence is good right about now, Nic…"

"Okay…"

* * *

Maxwell Hall was anything but happy. Room 148, to be exact.

Chase Matthews was a wreck. In two short days, he had managed to land himself in detention for the third time this week, for once he didn't care. He stared the memorial marker Logan had spent to have it custom-made…grey marble stone with golden lettering. Michael seemed to always steer Chase in the right direction, and it worked for both Logan and Chase. Logan was the self-centred egomaniac with a severe case of narcissism and Chase was the innocent goof.

Michael was the level-headed of the three.

"Chase?" a soft voice from behind. Chase knew exactly who it was and after being with her so long, he'd developed an uncanny sense of just knowing when she was there. He wrapped an arm around her waist. "It's so…not real."

"Yeah…"

_**BARRETT**_

_**MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER **_

_**January 11, 1991- April 16, 2007**_

"_**Hey, you interrupted tune time!"**_

Chase missed Michael, terribly. Just a month before, he had lost his grandmother on what was supposed to be the big milestone of his life. Zoey could only stare at the marker, and the mural Dana had spent three days painting of Michael was beautiful. It seemed to capture who he was…his very essence.

"He was only sixteen, Zoe. I don't get it…" Chase managed to croak out. The flowers and stuffed animals PCA students had left there seemed to just grow overnight.

Zoey wiped her eyes, and stroked Chase's arm.

"No one does, Chase. No one does…" she whispered. She walked over, and placed a bouquet of flowers among the others. Chase could only accept Zoey in his arms, and lightly kiss her hair. So many times Michael had been there to direct his path, and push him in the right direction…

"_Wait, it's your play, right?" Michael asked Chase, as he fretted over Zoey kissing Logan. _

"_Yeah, so?"_

_Michael shrugged coolly, "…so write a different ending. You can write out the kiss…"_

_Chase thought about it, and Michael was right. He smiled, handing Michael his Blix, and patted him on the back as if to say 'thanks'. _

"_You, my friend, are a genius in very short pants!" Chase exclaimed and ran off to fix his play. Maybe he would be able to sleep easier. Michael smiled, obviously proud of himself and drank some of Chase's Blix. _

"_I have my moments…"_

"He was your best friend. You were the closest to him out of all of us," Zoey said, as the sat down in front of the marker. A nice breeze blew in. In a matter of hours, a flock of PCA students would be here to celebrate the life of one of their own. It was organized by none other than Quinn Pensky, and Logan Reese. Even tragic events like this brought the oddest of friends together.

"Yeah, I know…"

"So, how are you taking it? It's okay if you want to vent or get sad. I think it's justified…" she said as she gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"It's rough. Sometimes I sit there and hope that maybe if I open the door, I'll see him stand there. In my asleep, I'll tell Michael to stop his monstrous snoring only to wake up and realize he was never in his bed to begin with. I owe our relationship to him, Zoe. He told me to tell you so many times, even when I'd chicken out he'd get me out of it…" Chase trailed off, and his voice grew soft. Zoey remembered that voice…the same voice that he used when he found out his grandmother died. Zoey watched his green eyes glaze over. A single tear rolled down his cheek, and he wiped it away. "…Logan. I almost feel bad for the guy. He's secluded, and closed up and doesn't like to talk as much anymore. He won't even touch a basketball anymore because I remember him and Michael playing all the time."

It was true, and even though Dana, Zoey, Michael and Logan played on the team, it came as a shock when Logan suddenly quit three days ago as point guard.

His response, _"What's the point?"_

Zoey listened quietly and waited for Chase, "…sometimes I'd send him as a text over something stupid…you know, guy stuff, and then right after I send it, it'll hit me again that he was never going to get it. His bed is just the way it is right now. Unmade…"

A solitary tear made its way down Chase's cheek, and Zoey pulled him to her.

"It's okay to cry, you know. Let it out, Chase," she assured, as she stroked his back, and sniffled herself. "I'll be here when you start and I'll be here when you're done…"

"I…miss him," his voice sounded, as his swallowed the lump in his throat. "I miss him so much…"

"I know you do…"

Zoey held him in her arms, like a good girlfriend would. Tears slowly made their way down her cheeks and she opened her mouth to softly sing, _"Oh, why you look so sad? Tears are in your eyes. Come on and come to me now. And don't…be ashamed to cry. Let me see you through 'cause I've seen the dark side too. When the night falls on you, and you don't know what to do. Nothing you confess…could make me love you less. I'll stand by you…"_

"_I'll stand by you. Won't let nobody hurt you… I'll stand by you. And so, if you're mad get mad. Don't hold it all inside. Come on and talk to me now. And hey, what you got to hide? I get angry too, but I'm a lot like you. When you stand at the crossroads, don't know which path to choose… Let me come along. Even though you're wrong. I'll stand by you… I'll stand by you. Won't let nobody hurt you. I'll stand by you…"_

Zoey finished singing…

Chase's head filled with so many flashbacks, from the first day he, Logan, and Michael became friends seven years ago to recently…

"_What do you mean?" Chase asked, nervously. "…I never had a two-year-old crush on Zoey, right Michael?"_

_Michael sighed, and replied sarcastically, "Yes. There is no crush. You silly people…" _

They all hit him in rapid succession as he listened to Zoey sing to him.

"_Did'ja tell her?" Michael questioned and appeared, in the doorway. _

"_No, but I'll tell her…" Chase answered, taking of drink of water. _

"_You'd better…"_

"_I will…" Chase promised. _

_Logan appeared in the doorway, "Tell who what?"_

"_You that you're annoying!" Michael retorted as he went back to arguing with Logan for the single bed this year._

"_Well, your __**mom's**__ annoying!" he retorted. _

_As they walked out arguing, Chase could only shake his head… _

For a solid hour, Chase sobbed quietly on his girlfriend's shoulder…

* * *

Quinn Pensky sat in the dorm she shared with Lola and Zoey, crying.

Why was it that the good people had to go? She had posed this question to her boyfriend, Mark Delfiggalo, of three years.

"I don't get it, Mark. Is there a scientific thing to this or is it just cruel fate?" Quinn asked him as she held back a sob. She shook her head. "…it doesn't seem fair. I can't solve this…"

"Maybe it's one of those you can't solve. No human brain can. What happened was an accident."

Quinn's eyes filled with tears, as she felt helpless and powerless. Usually, she would be able to make a concoction to reverse all of it. Now no concoction would be able to fix this. This was known fact. Science was built from information and facts.

Quinn sobbed, as Mark held her because two known facts were staring her in the face and hit her so close to home.

_Michael was never coming back…_

_Facts didn't lie…_

As the tears rolled down her face, Quinn felt so useless…

Powerlessness was a crappy feeling…

* * *

Logan Reese was livid, gripping the wooden baseball bat Michael had made him in wood shop class. He had given it to Logan on his fifteenth birthday, and with this bat Logan managed to score a whopping eleven homers in a season.

Why was he angry, you may ask? Because as he sat lazily in his dorm, a revelation hit him. All he had to do was go to the parking lot to make sure. Once he had all the proof he needed, he'd beat that bastard in the ground, just to avenge Michael. Or he could leave that prick a vegetable for the rest of his sorry excuse of a life.

Logan ran over to the parking lot, as many students' cars sat there, four of them belonging Dana, Chase, Zoey, and himself for they had all turned sixteen. Logan looked and saw Michael's usual parking spot, and stood in it…

It didn't feel right.

"Where is that stupid car?" he asked himself in frustration. He knew who had been driving based on the description Lola provided, in her shook-up state, but he managed to piece together the car. "Bailey Williams…"

Logan knew Bailey Williams as a mean stuck-up ass, and Michael's rival. He had wanted Michael's position on the basketball team and hated him for it…and because they had been fighting over Lola so that would give him the perfect motive to run Michael over, and eliminate the competition.

He looked around, and smirked when there were no witnesses.

It was a pity that a Ferrari was about to smashed in, including the windows. Glass splattered against the concrete as Logan smashed all the windows. Still in his bout of rage, he smashed that 2000,000 dollar car and didn't stop until he was satisfied.

**That's right, Reese. Smash the car…**

The blood rushed to his head, and he could hear nothing else around him…

He was hell-bent on making Bailey pay dearly, and he would be damned if revenge was served…

* * *

Dana clutched a crowbar she had stolen from the janitor's closet. Her eyes were aflame and wild-looking, and she stormed over to the boys' locker room.

Dana had managed to piece together who had run Michael over, killing him. She was a foot away from the locker room when she heard voices, and hid behind a wall, silver crowbar gripped tightly in her hands. Her knuckles turned whiter with every word that was being said.

"With Barrett out of the picture, now that position _and_ Lola will be mine. It helps that Reese quit," Bailey chuckled to his friends, as they changed from practice that day. Dana and Zoey were excused from practice, knowing the circumstances.

"Well, it's tragic, but you gotta admit… Lola is a fine piece of ass…"

_Assholes, _Dana thought with a disgusted roll of her eyes as they laughed, and soon Bailey was alone. Really alone.

Dana snuck up to Bailey with tears in her eyes. It wasn't fair, and if it were anyone that should be run over it should be him. Michael didn't deserve that at all. He was a saint compared to all of them combined. She muttered a silent prayer, as she raised the silver crowbar over her head. Bailey's back was turned towards her, so this gave her the perfect aim at the back of his head.

She closed her eyes and time seemed to stop, as a crack and a groan could be heard, and Bailey crumbled to the ground before her now-opened and widened eyes. Blood puddles formed around his head where he had fallen to the white linoleum floor.

…As fast as she had arrived, she ran out and Dana chucked the incriminating piece of metal as far as possible.

_Out of sight. Out of mind. _

And she was gone to find him. Once she found him, she could live her happiness.

Now, she would be able to live with herself…

"Logan!"

Still he would smash that car until it became nothing but scrap metal. He was deserving of it. Bailey deserved it all.

"Logan!"

In one swift movement Dana ran, prying the wooden bat out of her boyfriend's trembling hands, and hugged him tightly. She understood his resentment… his anger, and bitterness.

"It's okay…" she whispered in his ear. Dana could feel his shoulder tremble with suppressed sobs. "I love you, Logan…"

Surrounded by broken glass and a wooden bat at his feet, he hugged his girlfriend back, tears blurring his vision. In the first time in a week, Logan gave up trying to be the strong willed one. He gave up trying to act as if Michael's death hadn't bugged at him. Logan wanted to stop acting like he didn't have nightmares every night since then.

For the first time in a week, Logan cried on Dana's shoulder in the middle of that parking lot…

* * *

**Three Hours Later**

All of the students of Pacific Coast Academy had gathered to remembered Michael and his life, as they stood in a sea of purple and candles. Zoey wore two French braids with black ribbons in her hair. Lola, Nicole, and Quinn all followed suit by wearing black ribbons in their hair. Dana wore a t-shirt (except Logan snipped his sleeves off…habitual thing) his friends all had. She made them herself. It had Michael's picture on the front with the words:

**Michael Barrett**

**Rest in peace, homie…**

**(1991-2007)**

Even Dustin helped by gathering the eighth graders, and gathered sixteen (one for every year of his life) helium balloons each of there specific colours: yellow (gold was his favourite colour), white (to represent his youth) and purple (as the school colour). Lola clutched a framed photo of her and Michael close, as she sobbed quietly, only to be consoled by Zoey and Dana.

They all watched all 48 balloons be carried away by the wind and disappear into the sky.

"I miss you…" she whispered…

Dana's mural was unveiled, and they were just in awe. Lola turned to her, and hugged her.

"It's beautiful, Dana…"

"Thanks…"

His smile, the twinkle in his eyes, Dana had captured them all.

Twenty minutes passed, and Chase delivered a speech, which had moved the girls, anyway to tears. The five of them held onto each other, as they listened for fifteen minutes straight. Just listening to Chase as he spoke about his best friend. Afterwards, he walked over and looking at the mural. The wind blew his bushy hair in different directions.

"Rest in peace, man. You will be greatly missed. Thanks for having our backs when we needed it. You're still a part of our group as the dude that kept our spirits up. We miss you…"

Chase walked off stage, and Logan half-smiled before taking the mic. Instruments were such as a keyboard, a guitar and some drums were being put behind him. Nicole and Quinn stayed with Lola to keep her company, while Zoey, Dana and Chase disappeared to help Logan set up.

"Okay, and that was Chase Matthews. Now, if any of you knew Michael, you knew he loved music. So we're going to perform one of his favourite songs. He played this song constantly even though he didn't want to admit it, but it was one of his favourites… so I'll shut up and you'd better enjoy it…"

Piano was played by Zoey, and Logan's voice was the only one that could be heard at the moment. Dana was heard playing drums, and Chase was on the guitar.

Logan: **Your subtleties  
They strangle me  
I can't explain myself at all.  
And all the wants  
And all the needs  
All I don't want to need at all.**

**The walls start breathing  
My mind's unweaving  
Maybe it's best you leave me alone.  
A weight is lifted  
On this evening  
I give the final blow.**

**When darkness turns to light,  
It ends tonight  
It ends tonight.**

Chase and Dana's playing became louder, and Logan sang. Still Zoey's fingers glided and danced up and down the keyboard, as the crowd starting to sway their candles in time to the beat.

Logan: **A falling star  
Least I fall alone.**

Chase/Logan: **I can't explain what you can't explain**.

Chase:** You're finding things that you didn't know  
I look at you with such disdain**

Logan: **The walls start breathing  
My mind's unweaving **

Chase: **Maybe it's best you leave me alone.  
A weight is lifted  
On this evening**

Logan:** I give the final blow.**

Chase:** When darkness turns to light  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.**

**  
**Logan: **Just a little insight won't make this right  
It's too late to fight  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.**

The instruments all played together in perfect harmony, and added with Chase and Logan's voices, it sounded beautiful. Like four friends all saying one big musical goodbye.

Chase:** Now I'm on my own side  
It's better than being on your side**

Logan**: It's my fault when you're blind  
It's better that I see it through your eyes**

Chase:** All these thoughts locked inside**

Logan:** Now you're the first to know**

Zoey and Logan sang the ending as Chase strummed and Dana drummed their way into ending the song.

Zoey: **When darkness turns to light  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.  
Just a little insight won't make this right  
It's too late to fight  
It ends tonight,  
It ends**

Logan:** When darkness turns to light  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.  
Just a little insight won't make this right  
It's too late to fight  
It ends tonight,  
It ends tonight.**

Chase/Zoey/Logan:** Tonight  
Insight  
When darkness turns to light,  
It ends tonight.**

* * *

The vigil was over, but some students hung around to sign the guest book and write something to Michael. It was sure that Michael had a lot of friends and very little enemies. How could you not like him? Michael was the type of person that was everyone's friend, and he had the uncanny gift of making people laugh.

"Nicole?"

"Yeah?"

Lola smiled and yawned, "I'm tired, so I'm going to head back."

The brunette raised a sceptical eyebrow at her friend. It sounded strange to her, but then again it didn't because Lola really had had a tiring day. Lola was tired and just wanted to sleep, and she knew a way how…

"You sure? You want us to walk you back…"

"Yeah, I mean, we're only looking out for your best interests, you know…" Quinn put in. Lola stood, slinging her purse over her shoulder.

"Yeah," she sniffled. "…I'm fine. Tell Zoey and Dana I went back to the dorm, 'kay?"

"Yeah, sure…"

"Ok," Nicole chimed in, and watched Lola walk away, her figure getting farther and farther. Zoey, Logan, Dana and Chase came back from signing the guest book, and signing the mural. She felt kind of sad because come tomorrow she'd be on the next flight back to Kansas, and she'd have to go that wretched place she called a school. Nicole looked up broken from her thoughts, and met Zoey's face. "Oh, hey…"

"Hey, Nic. Where'd Lola go?"

"She's tired. She told us she was going to take a shower," Quinn explained, "…well, Mark had to go too, but Lola's had a tiring day. I think we all have. Anyone want to go to Sushi Rox?"

Dana shrugged, "I'm kind of hungry anyway… Chase, you think Kazu has any of that teriyaki chicken left?"

"He should… I'm not sure."

"Yeah, let's go…" Zoey said, holding Chase's hand. They silently walked to Sushi Rox, until Chase broke it…

"I don't know what it is but I can't shake the feeling that something ten times worse is going to happen…"

"Why would you say that?" Logan asked, as they entered.

"I don't know. It's just a gut feeling I have…"

* * *

Lola was tired.

It was pointless for her to just sit there and cry herself a river. She took off her sandals, walking into the bathroom to splash some cold water on her face. Lola towel dried it, and stared at herself in the mirror.

How could she have been so stupid?

How could she have been such a klutz?

If only she had taken that car instead of Michael. She was a big girl. Lola could have handled it. Michael decided to sacrifice his life in return for hers. He died so that she may live.

_It's my fault. _

_It's all my fault._

_That car should have hit me instead… _

_I killed him._

_I killed him…_

All the thoughts went swimming through her head at a fast pace, as her eyes filled with tears. If only she had said something to him earlier. If only she had say something before he got the change to date Vanessa, one of her best friends, and a pretty girl with a ridiculously excellent voice.

_If only, _Lola thought she opened the cabinet. It was then that she found what she was looking for.

"I'm sorry, Michael," her voice echoed in the bathroom. She bit her lip, as pain cascaded on her arm. Streams of crimson travelled and hit the clean white floor. Lola would again cut, only deeper, and she cried out a little as she carved a word into her arm. Vision began to deteriorate but somehow Lola wanted the job done. Obscene amount of blood exited Lola's body and made itself visible as it splattered onto the floor…landing as big fat droplets, and she knew…

The blood seemed to mix in with the tears she was crying. Oh God, how she cried…

She knew everything was leaving her…

"I'm sorry…" she whispered, hoping her friends could somehow hear her. Selfish wasn't what she wanted to be remembered as. Lola Martinez wanted to be remembered as the aspiring actress, and loyal friend…the good daughter, and the best big sister. The little razor fell with a sharp clink from her dainty hands. She clutched the note she had planned to give to everyone after they found out.

The note consisted of just five simple words.

Five simple words that made her feelings known.

Five words she should have said before that car came speeding by and shattered it all. Lola landed on the floor with a thud. Too much blood had been lost, and she knew that she had little times left.

As she felt her vision get heavy, and the air inside decrease, she managed to rasp out another set of five words…

He made her smile.

He could make her laugh on the crappiest days on her life, which occurred constantly…or more than she wanted.

"I…love you too, Michael…"

As the puddle of blood grew, brown eyes that had a lively glint closed forever.

And the dreams and aspirations she'd had from as far as she could remember died along with her…

**Flames to dust**

**Lovers to friends**

**Why do all good things come to an end?**

**Flames to dust**

**Lovers to friends**

**Why do all good things come to end?**

**(Come to an end)**

**(Come to an end)**

**(Come to an end)**

**Why do all good things come to an end? **

_There's no Lola without Michael…_

**FIN**

* * *

**A/N: Wow, this took me three days to do but I did it. I was listening to Nelly Furtado and I was inspired. I killed them off I know. And yes, if you're wondering the gang does find out when they come back, but I think there's an air of mystery not writing about it. Anyway, review and tell me my hard work hasn't gone to waste. Review Behind Green Eyes, and Adolescence to Parenthood when you're finished reading. I loved writing Michael's sister, Sheila. Very mysterious and shady 10-year-old. **

**Enough of my chatter. Excuse any grammatical and spelling errors you might see. I'm kind of doped up on antibiotics… Damn, cold. Yes, my alerts finally work!**

**REVIEW!**

**-Erika **


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